of plum blossoms and precious jade
by I Can Hear the Sea
Summary: in the capital city, a courtesan and a young lord meet. [drabble series; rated: m for much later chapters]
1. one, i

**one.**

—

 **Darkness had already blanketed the capital city before the end of the Rooster hour,** and through the fluttering curtains, Tenten could see that the lanterns of the night marketplace were not yet lit. The gongs had already rung, and merchants would be closing up shop at this hour. Before long, banquets and teahouses would contribute to the nightlife of the capital. Soon enough, citizens would be trickling out of their homes to roam through the streets and the city would then come alive once more. But for now, she could barely see the outlines of the buildings and tall trees as they were pulled forward along the road.

Tenten felt a blast of cool winter air on her face through the open windows of the carriage. Beside her, she heard a gasp of delight. As she directed her gaze to her left, she found her courtesan-sister peering out the window, with the curtain halfway pulled back with her hands. Tenten held her tongue, making a decision not to admonish the younger girl; after all, Moegi had only turned thirteen earlier in the year, and this was probably the first time in quite some time that she'd seen something other than the walls of the Flower House or the temple. This newfound freedom must have excited her.

 _But she will learn soon enough that there is no such thing as freedom in this line of work_ , Tenten thought regretfully. She would let Moegi be a child for a little while longer if she could help it.

* * *

 **Of Plum Blossoms and Precious Jade** _was a NejiTen story I'd planned a while ago. It was originally set to feature Tenten, a popular courtesan in the capital city; and Neji, a young lord from one the Four Noble Houses. This story was never finished; it was barely even begun–but I wrote enough to post little snippets here and there. Will I ever finish it? Who knows?_

 _(You may have seen some snippets already floating around on tumblr. I may make changes or post the same ones.)_


	2. one, ii

"Big Sister," another, softer voice interrupted Tenten's thoughts. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are we going so far to entertain tonight?"

Tenten slowly inhaled through her nose and breathed out through her mouth, turning her head to the right. With two sets of eyes on Tenten, the two younger figures before her awaited an answer. It was Shiho, the older of the two, who had asked the question.

"The Ichiraku House may be far from our residence," Tenten began slowly, "but it is a very popular and exclusive establishment, sometimes frequented by patrons different from our usual, Shiho."

Shiho was six years her junior, and four years older than Moegi. The three women were not sisters by blood, but by trade. Tenten had always had a soft spot for the younger girls, and so Madame had often placed them under her tutelage. Shiho herself was coming off of six years of training.

"But at the temple, I overheard Kin telling one of her sisters that the clientele at Ichiraku House weren't worth anyone's time."

Tenten quirked an eyebrow at that. "This would be Kin from the House of Bright Jade?" she asked.

Shiho nodded. "I saw her there the other day when Mother let me leave the Golden Peony to make an offering."

"I see," Tenten answered slowly before replying with, "That is not the case at all. She says that because she is no longer welcome at Ichiraku."

The next inquiry came from Moegi, predictably. "Really? Why?" The younger girl's eyes were wide with curiosity. Tenten could see the questions running through Moegi's head.

"Kin got careless and had too much to drink one night, and proceeded to badly insult the—" She paused, trying to find the right words to say. "— _wrong guest_ , if you will." Before Moegi could interrupt and ask more questions, Tenten decided this was a good time to change the subject. "On opportune nights, Ichiraku boasts well-known and exclusive guests. This will be a good chance for both of you to be introduced to the public outside of the Golden Peony."

Her courtesan-sisters asked her a couple more questions after that before silence filled the air. Tenten allowed herself to look out the window that Moegi had kept open. She could see that the lanterns of drinking and eating establishments were already lit as they passed them along, and she closed her eyes for a few moments.

* * *

 _no neji yet, but patience, my friends...  
_


	3. one, iii

"We have arrived, Big Sister."

Tenten opened her eyes just as the carriage came to a stop. An attendant of the establishment pulled open the door. The spring air was cool and crisp as Tenten stepped out with ease and practiced grace, but Moegi, in all her excitement, had nearly stumbled out. Outside of Ichiraku House, Tenten could already sense the bustling movements within its glowing paper-thin walls. She reached underneath her large warm overcoat to adjust her silk robe, which had been slightly loosened during the journey to the teahouse, and absently traced an embroidered camellia near the edge as she let go.

She let her courtesan-sisters finish fixing their attire before speaking. "Come," she said gently.

"Yes, Big Sister," her courtesan-sisters answered in unison, falling into step behind her.

—

The establishment was already in full swing when they arrived. Many a scholar-bureaucrat and others were enjoying the warm escape from the chilly outdoors.

At once, the proprietor and the staff scrambled to greet Tenten as she and the apprentices stepped through the threshold. Courtesans were good for business, and seeing that Tenten was both a regular and a _yiji_ from one of the most well-known flower houses in the city, there was no hesitation in accommodating her.

A mousy-looking maidservant was quickly assigned to them; she took their coats and offered to lead them to upstairs to the more private settings. Tenten nodded her assent with a bow of her head.

Tenten made her way up the stairs with purpose; the length of her dress trailing after her only enhanced the floating quality of the way she walked. The radiant turquoise silk of her outer robe seemed to glow under the lantern lights as did the swaying jewels in her hair, and the beautifully embroidered butterflies and camellias were temporarily imbued with an essence of life with each step she took. Moegi, the younger of her two courtesan-sisters, curiously turned around to survey the teahouse clients—mostly lower-ranked officials and merchants—that they had left behind on the main floor. She was both awed and delighted to find that many intently watched Tenten slowly disappear from sight.

* * *

( _This story doesn't take place in China. It just has a_ _ **few**_ _elements taken from Chinese historical culture_.)


	4. one, iv

The trio passed by a deluge of rooms to the end of the hallway, where she sensed a small party of six. The door was left ajar, so she peeked in. There were a number of familiar faces; all were either bureaucrats, nobles, or both.

"Oy! Tenten!" one of the men called out in recognition, "Come in! Come in!"

 _Caught!_ Tenten now faced a dilemma. A split-second ago, she had rejected this room because of the the trainees who were with her and people contained within. Ordinarily, she would have made her excuses, but this was a room comprised of some of the capital's most illustrious scions. But now that she'd been noticed, she wasn't sure if she could disregard this invitation. To do so might be considered an insult.

She indicated to the maidservant that this was the room she had been invited into, and the mousy-looking woman hurriedly hung their coats nearby and disappeared.

"My Lords," she greeted them politely with a proper bow. "It is an honor."

The pink-faced man, the young Lord Kiba from the Inuzuka clan, replied with a suggestive remark. Predictable, Tenten thought, bestowing the man with a teasing reprimand. This set the party off in a joyous uproar, and from there it was easy for them to situate themselves comfortably.

* * *

 _Yes, I do realize that I write sloooooooowly. Please keep in mind that a set of drabbles equates to a chapter. So think of it as getting a chapter every...year!_ :3


	5. one, v

With effortless grace, Tenten poured the party a round of drinks. The room had already taken a life of its own, aided by her presence and by the music she requested Shiho to play. Moegi quietly observed close by, as if she was Tenten's shadow. Tenten kept a close eye on the younger girl, who had taken on a childlike meekness when she entered the room behind her older courtesan-sisters. As always, the young Lord Kiba was an easy and willing target of jokes, and his companions were eager to join in on Tenten's teasing jibes.

After a delightful tale by the scion of the Akimichi clan regarding peaches, Tenten turned to another man who she had only seen on occasion.

"My lord," she addressed the man. "Your cup; it is empty."

His eyes flickered up to her. "And so it is," he responded, gaze steady on her.

"Then another drink perhaps?"

She watched as the man across her considered it, and gave a slight inclination of his head in affirmation. He raised his cup to her with an effortless elegance that would make her younger courtesan-sisters jealous. Giving him a soft smile, she reached for the _baijiu_ jug, taking note to pull the cream-colored sleeve of her _da xiu shan_ up ever so slightly to bare a bit of her wrist. With a practiced ease, she took hold of the jug, taking care to pour the contents out slowly and carefully, first into his cup and then into her own. With not a drop wasted, she then set the jug down, and gauged his reaction.


End file.
